Machine for working flax.



No. 67l,034. Patant'ad Apr. 2, I901.

. L. H. SCHNEIDER. MACHINE FOR WURKI NG FLAX... (Application filed Nov. 27, 1899. Renewed Nov. 20. 1900..

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No. 67!,034. Patented Apr. 2, 1901. L. H. SCHNEIDER.

MACHINE FOB WORKING FLAX.

(Applicafic m filed Nov. 27, 1899. Renewed Nov. 20, 1900.)

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Attorneys;

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Iri-ventor.

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N0, 67|,Q34. Patented Apr. 2, I91.

L. H. SCHNEIDER.

MACHINE FDR" WORKING FLAX.

(Application filed Nov. 27, 189B. Beuowed Nov. 20. 1900. v "09%) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Inventor. W1tnez Ses U U laws K/Scmavaee Attcrneysi NlTE STATES ATENT FFlCE.

MACHINE FOR WORKING FLAXT SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,034, dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed November 2'7, 1899. Renewed November 20, 1900. Serial No. 37,148. No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs H. SCHNEIDER, of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Working Flax; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of machinery made for the purpose of preparing flax fiber to be spun on cotton or woolen spinning machines. It is fully explained and illustrated in this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 shows a top view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the machine, taken through lengthwise on line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

The object of the invention is to construct a machine to receive the divided flax-straw as it comes from the machine on which it has been threshed for the seed and by relieving it of the shives and dust, straightening the fibers, and making it into a sliver or roving to put the material into a form suitable to be spun on the machines in general use for spinning cotton and wool.

The construction and operation of the machine are as follows:

A A are the side frames, which are held at a proper distance apart by cross-girths O (J, the ends of which are bolted to the side frames. In Fig. 1 at the left end an endless apron B, intended to receive the flax, is held on two horizontal rolls 0 0, having bearings at each end in the side frames A A, and another roll a is held over the roll 0 in slotted bearings to allow it a vertical motion. This roll 0 can be made of metal, so as to be heavy, or it can be weighted, if necessary, to makeit hold the flax firmly between it and the lower roll 0. Next to the roll 0 are placed a series of several rolls d d d, shown as sixin number in the drawings, but which numbermay be more, if desired. To conduct the flax from the rolls 0 and 0 onto the pins of the rolls CZ, it is crowded out by the feed-rolls between an upper and lower row of horizontal fingers r r, which hold it in shape, so that the pins of roll 01 will enter it and draw it onto the rolls. These rolls (Z have rows of slender smooth polished pins 6 6 set in theirsurfaces. The first roll d is placed as near as possible to the roll 0 and not have the pins touch the roll to insure its catching the lap of fiber as it comes out from between the fingers 1" 1". Each roll (Z has the rows of pins around it set so as to come between the rows in the rolls on each side of it that the rolls may be set as close together as possible, and the rolls have V-shaped grooves made around them between the rows of pins to receive the ends of the pins in the next roll, which allows of a still closer adjustment to make the pins of one roll take the flax from those of the preceding one, and each succeeding roll is arranged to be driven a little faster than the last one to cause the flax-lap to be drawn open to loosen the shives and allow them to fall out. A series of fingers n n are arranged to have their points lie in the grooves of the last roll d and guide the flax from the pins on that roll onto a series of bolts g, placed alternately on the rollsfff held in bearings on the side frames A. The arrangement of these belts is seen in Fig. 3, the belts from the roll f to the roll f alternating with those running from roll f to roll f so the two sets of belts g and g form an open endless apron to hold the flax for the heaters, which are placed between the rolls both above and below the belts. The beaters consist of small shafts h It, held in hearings on the side frames, on which shafts are clamped pieces of leather belting 2' i, so as to lie horizontallya little above the flax on the belts and over the openings between the belts g and g. The heaters below the belts are held in like manner, except being turned over, so as to strike up against the under side.

the shives to drop down between the belts g. To still further agitate the flax, a sliding bar m is placed across the machine, one under each set of belts g g, midway between the rolls f f f The top sides of these bars are notched in to receive the belts g and g, and a knee-lever 8, held at its center on a stud attached to the side frame A, has one end pivoted to the horizontal barjand its other end pinned to one of the cross-bars m, that the jogging motion of the barj may be comm unicated to the cross-bar m and give a quick shaking motion sidewise to the belts g, calculated to relieve them and the flax of the shives loosened by the action of the beaters. From the belts g the flax is conducted by the horizontal fingers V V, the ends of which lie in between the belts g, to the lap-rolls t t to be wound into a lap.

The rolls are driven by belts from pulleys 011 a driving-shaft G, that is held in bearings on the lower rails of the side frames A A and which extends across the machine. The first roll d and each alternate one of the set is driven by the belt N, which runs over a pulley H on the front end of the driving-shaft G. This belt N runs over the pulleys s on the rolls d and down between them under the idler-pulleys S S. The rolls (1 between the alternate ones are driven by the belt N in like manner on the other side ofthe machine. The rolls f, that carry the beltsg g, are driven bya belt P from a small pulleyJ on the front end of the driving-shaft G to a pulley F on the shaft of the roll f, and a belt L from a pulley on the other end of the shaft of pulley fdrives the feed-rolls c c and apron B. The belt R from another pulley on the shaft of the rollf drives the lap-rolls t ii.

In operation the flax-straw as received from the threshing-machine is spread on the apron B and carried through the rolls 0 c and fingers r 1* onto the pins in the rolls d, where it is opened and drawn apart between the rolls by reason of each succeeding roll going faster than the one before it. This drawing has a great effect in loosening the shives from the fiber, so they are ready to part from the flax under the action of the beaters,and with every facility for the dropping out of the shives the clearing of the fiber is Well accomplished by the time it reaches the lap-rolls t t and is formed into a lap.

Having thus described my improvements, I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a machine for the purpose described, the combination of an apron to receive the material, a pair of feed-rolls, a set of rolls having pins set in them, an upper and lower set of fingers to conduct the material onto said rolls with pins, rolls carrying a second apron, a set of fingers to conduct the flax from the rolls with pins to said apron, with means for beating the flax on the apron, rolls for forming a lap, and a set of fingers to conduct the flax to the lap-rolls, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for the purpose described, a set of rolls, a series of belts arranged to run alternately on said rolls and have open spaces between them, in combination with a series of beaters held on shafts extending across said belts, and means for operating said belts and heaters, substantially as described.

3. In a flax-machine the combination of an endless apron, a pair of feed-rolls, an upper and a lower set of fingers to receive the flax, from the feed-rolls and deliver it to the pinrolls, a series of rolls having rows of pins set in their surfaces, with deep grooves made in the rolls between the rows of pins to receive the ends of the pins in each other roll next to it, each succeeding roll being driven at a greater speed than the roll preceding it, with means for operating said apron and rolls, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for the purpose described, a set of rolls, a series of belts arranged to run alternately on said rolls and have open spaces between them, in combination with a series of beaters held 011 shafts extending across said belts, bars extending across said belts and having notches in them to receive the belts, with means for operating said bars ehdwise, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of November, A. D. 1899.

LOUIS II. SCHNEIDER.

In presence of BENJ. ARNOLD, HOWARD E. BARLOW. 

